Vets are reporting a significant decrease in registrations of pugs and French bulldogs as flat-faced dog breeds lose popularity in the UK. According to Royal Kennel Club figures, registrations of French bulldogs, bulldogs, and pugs have fallen sharply in the first three months of 2026.
Sharp decline in registrations
Data reveals there were 1,400 registrations of French bulldogs between January and March 2026, a 37 percent drop compared to the same period in 2025. Bulldog registrations fell by 34 percent, while pug registrations plummeted by 43 percent, with only 126 pugs registered in the first quarter of 2026.
Professor Dan O'Neill of the Royal Veterinary College commented: "The British public are known as animal lovers, and the new RKC breed data support this view. After a decade of evidence generation and campaigning by the Royal Veterinary College along with the RKC, charities, veterinary organisations, and many other welfare groups to show the dramatically shortened lives and high health burden in dog breeds with extreme flat faces, the British public are now responding by rejecting ownership of these breeds, despite the dogs themselves often having lovely temperaments."
Health and financial concerns
Professor O'Neill added: "As well as the unnecessary suffering often endured by the dogs themselves, issues such as high financial costs from their frequent health problems along with the human heartbreak and guilt from watching these extreme flat-faced dogs often gasp to breathe or die early are likely to contribute to reduced ownership demand."
Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux, senior vice-president of the British Veterinary Association, noted: "We saw a huge explosion in the popularity of flat-faced dogs at the start of the last decade, fuelled largely by social media and celebrity influencers. These new figures are an encouraging sign that campaigns such as BVA's #BreedToBreathe and collaborative work by the Brachycephalic Working Group are beginning to have a positive impact on demand."
Ongoing challenges
Dr Mullineaux cautioned: "Of course, we know that there's a large population of flat-faced dogs who aren't Royal Kennel Club registered who're being bred and bought across the UK, or being imported from abroad, so there's still work to be done to tackle irresponsible breeding and to improve the overall welfare of these breeds. Our advice to anyone looking to get a puppy continues to be to prioritise health over looks."
